Memorial Day celebrated
Published 9:08 pm Thursday, May 21, 2020
Brynlee Poland, 4, looks at a row of flags that her grandparents, Bill and Cyndi Poland placed near the tank at Veterans Park in honor of Memorial Day. (Photo by Robin Hart)
VFW Post 3634 member Jack Hendricks checks an armful of flags to be set out in Veterans Park. (Photo by Robin Hart)
Bill Eisenbeis, chaplain of VFW Post 3436 places flags at Veterans Park on Thursday, in honor of the upcoming Memorial Day. (Photo by Robin Hart)
Paul Poland, left, his granddaughter Brynlee Poland, and his wife, Cyndi Poland and Bill Eisenbeis place flags at Veterans Park on Thursday. (Photo by Robin Hart)
Members of VFW Buell Bragg Post 3634 are keeping the true meaning of Memorial Day alive by honoring the 77 Boyle County veterans, and all other military members, who lost their lives during World War I and II, the Korean War and the Vietnam Conflict, even though the post canceled its annual solemn commemorative service service due to the current pandemic.
On Thursday, VFW members Jack Hendricks, along with Paul Poland, Senior Vice Commander, his wife, Cyndi Poland, quartermaster, and Bill Eisenbeis, chaplin, placed 77 flags at Veterans Park in honor of the local vets who died during those wars.
The flags, standing in straight rows, carefully placed 12 inches apart, and are lined up in front of signs designating in which war each soldier died. Every flag also has the veteran’s name attached.
“It’s important to remember and honor those who gave their all for this country,” Hendricks said.
“All gave some, some gave all,” is a common saying, Hendricks said. Veterans Day is for all veterans, but “Memorial Day is strictly to honor the fallen — the guys and gals who gave all, their lives.”
The small group also placed a total of about 150 flags around flower beds at the park, to honor all men and women who lost their lives during battles. “We just want to bring attention to Memorial Day and what it means,” Hendricks explained.
“It’s not just about putting flowers on kinfolks’ graves and visiting family, or an extra day off. People just forget,” that Memorial Day is for remembering those who died fighting in wars.
Hendricks said, “We felt like we ought to do something to bring a little light on this thing.”
Names added to the Veterans Park Wall of honor on Thursday are:
- William A. Chambers, U.S. Coast Guard, WWII
- Randall Webb, U.S. Army National Guard
- Mike Webb, U.S. Army National Guard
- Tim Webb, U.S. Air National Guard
- Sam B. Dexter, U.S. Marine Corps, WWII
- Tim B. Dexter, U.S. Marine Corps, 1972-1997
- Zeke Dexter, U.S. Army, WWII
- Charles Dexter, U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, WWII, Korea
